Cold smile
by noortjen
Summary: NO LONGER A ONE-SHOT! 'Darkness. That was the last thing Jack felt. It was cold, and it was dark. And yet, there was a faint smile on the winter spirit's face.' Pitch Black has returned much sooner than anyone thought. How far will Jack go to protect his friends? Mainly Jack and Bunnymund (and Sandy), although the other guardians also make an appearance.
1. Chapter 1

_Darkness. That was the last thing Jack felt. It was cold, and it was dark. And yet, there was a faint smile on the winter spirit's face._

It had been two years since Pitch had lost the battle against the guardians, two years since Jack had found a place where he belonged. It had taken Jack time to adjust to his duties as a guardian, but he had been more devoted than any of them had expected, and still he never failed to bring fun to all of them as well.

That was why it came a such a surprise when Pitch returned so soon. The king of nightmares had spent the last two years hiding in the shadows, slowly feeding on fear to let his powers grow. He wanted nothing more but revenge on the guardians, Jack Frost in particular. Pitch gritted his teeth, his hands balling to fists as he merely thought of the boy. How could he have lost to someone like that? A nightmare neighed to announce its presence, and a menacing smile pulled at Pitch's lips.

''Jack!'' Bunnymund bellowed as he chased the laughing winter sprite through the forests that surrounded Burgess. ''Get down here, ya little rascal!'' Jack chuckled, glancing back at the angry Pooka that was chasing him, the smirk on his face growing as he saw the purple and blue patches of fur. He hadn't meant to blow up one of Bunny's egg bombs, it had simply slipped out of his hand after he'd snatched it from the Pooka.

Bunny had been working on smaller egg bombs that would contain just as much power as the larger ones so he could carry more bombs on him, and Jack had been curious about the design. He had simply been tossing it around a little when it slipped from his fingers, exploding right beside Bunny. Jack had bursted out laughing when he'd seen that not only half the Warrne, but Aster's fur had been stained purple and blue. Even now, as Bunny chased him with a scowl on his face, Jack couldn't contain another snort when looking back.

''I don't know, it looks kind of good on you, Kangaroo.'' Jack quipped as Wind carried him further up in the air and towards the lake.

Bunny growled softly, jumping up to one of the thicker tree branches and launching himself as high up in the air as he could with another kick, reaching out for the guardian of fun. Jack could feel Bunny's paw grazing his skin, but he quickly pulled his leg up and watched as Aster attempted to land in a soft layer of snow near the lake. However, the Pooka didn't realise how deep the layer of snow truly was and almost entirely disappeared with an 'oomph', only his ears still visible from the sky. Jack blinked, then started laughing again as Wind slowly lowered him onto the lake. Bunny pulled his head out of the snow, shook his head and shuddered.

''You alright there, Bunny?'' Jack asked playfully, leaning on his staff. Bunny glared at Jack, merely provoking another snort from Jack before the spirit extended his hand for Bunny to take.

''Ya think it's funny?'' Bunny asked as he reluctantly accepted Jack's extended hand to help him back up.

''Just a little.'' Jack retorted with a smile, waiting patiently as Aster brushed off some of the snow. ''Well, if you're alright, I'll be on my way.''

''Not so fast, Frostbite.'' The Pooka replied sternly, grabbing Jack by his hoodie when the winter spirit turned around and tried to get away. ''Ya didn't think I was going to clean up the mess you made, did ya?''

Jack looked back over his shoulder like a child caught stealing a cookie. ''I was silently hoping it?'' Jack answered with shrugged up shoulders before half-heartedly attempting to squirm away from Bunny.

''Not gonna happen, mate.'' Bunny said sternly, a content smile on his face. He knew that their little game of tag was over. He knew that Jack knew, that the spirit would have cleaned it up eventually even if Bunny hadn't asked him, but this was just the way they acted. They would tease each other, drive each other mad. It was their game, their –albeit odd- way of showing that they cared for each other, and Bunny wouldn't want it any other way.

He walked off the frozen lake and was about to open a tunnel to the Warren when they both got blown down by a shadow. Bunny landed on the snowy shore of the lake, Jack slipping from his grip and skidding over the ice before he came to a stop. Jack groaned, shaking his head slightly. He jumped to his feet the moment he looked up, seeing a nightmare approaching Aster.

''Bunny!'' Jack shouted, blasting a blue ray of ice into the nightmare's direction. It didn't hit its target, but it did draw the nightmare's attention to Jack, who slowly began to notice other nightmares glaring at them from the shadows.

Jack gritted his teeth. How was this possible? If the nightmares were attacking them, that meant that Pitch was back. He knew it would happen someday, Pitch was after all immortal, like them, but he'd never expected it to happen after a mere two years.

''Snowflake, down!'' Jack didn't have to think twice when he heard Bunny, ducking down as one of the Pooka's boomerangs raced over his head and hit a nightmare, which burst apart into black dreamsand. Jack leaped towards Bunnymund with Wind's help and together they stood back to back, carefully watching the nightmares that had surrounded the lake.

''We need to get the others.'' Jack suggested as he blasted down a nightmare that got a little too close to his liking.

''What, you can't handle a few sandponies?'' Bunnymund quipped half-heartedly. He knew Jack was right, but they couldn't just leave here either. Even if the nightmares didn't chase them through Bunnymund's tunnels, they couldn't run risking the safety of the children in Burgess.

The sun had almost set, and soon Sandy would and Tooth would begin their work, bringing sleep to the children and collecting teeth. They would come across Burgess, they would notice them. Jack and Bunny simply had to handle this on their own until then. Jack knew this as well and smirked.

''Alright, let's play whack-a-nightmare. The winner has to clean the Warren.'' And with that, Jack leapt towards a nightmare, freezing it before Wind launched him up into the sky, several nightmares chasing him.

''Oi! Not fair!'' Bunny called at Jack before turning his attention fully to the nightmares in front of him, a playful grin on his face. He jolted forward, throwing one of his boomerangs as he reached for one of the small egg bombs. Thanks to Jack, he at least knew they worked.

Jack frowned as he blasted yet another nightmare to pieces before dropping a little in the air to avoid a second attack. No matter how many nightmares he and Bunny defeated, they just kept going. As Jack looked down his eyes went wide. The nightmares he'd just defeated, the ones who had been nothing more than black sand, were slowly reforming, even growing in size.

As he watched the nightmares below grow, he was too late to react to a nightmare which hit him hard in the back. With a grunt, Jack landed harshly on the forest ground, not too far away from the lake where Bunny was still struggling with the nightmares surrounding him. Jack's staff clattered over the ground, laying still just below a tree.

''I'll take that for you.'' A sinister voice appeared from the shadows. Jack looked up just as Pitch appeared from the dark, his thin fingers wrapping around his staff.

''Give it back!'' Jack snarled, slowly getting back to his feet. He remembered the last time Pitch had taken his staff. The pain he'd felt as the king of nightmares broke it in two, the pain driving Jack to the point that he could no longer call for the wind to lift him up. He continued to glare at Pitch, dismissing the nightmares that surrounded them, snorting and neighing expectantly.

''I always wondered, Jack,'' Pitch began, playing slightly with the staff in his hands. He slowly stepped further out of the shadows and into Jack's direction. Jack didn't know how, but something in Pitch seemed different, and it didn't sit right with him. Pitch smirked when the boy tensed visibly, ready to attack. ''How did you fix it?'' The grin on his lips grew. ''Perhaps you could give me a demonstration.''

Jack's eyes widened as he realised what Pitch was about to do. He tried to jump forward and reached for his staff, but could do nothing more but watch as Pitch broke the staff in half like he had done at the South Pole.

Jack felt his chest clench painfully, an agonizing cry escaping from his lips as his insides seemed to burn. His breath became ragged as he stumbled to his knees, his hands clenching onto his hoodie, his eyes wide. This couldn't be happening again. Jack gritted his teeth as he heard Pitch laugh. He suddenly felt a thin hand grasping his neck, lifting him up into the air as he struggled to breathe. Jack saw the faint golden glow of Sandy's sand in the distance as darkness started to claw at his vision. _Hurry up, _he thought before he closed his eyes.

Bunnymund had lost sight of Jack halfway through the fight, preoccupied with the creatures that continued to appear in front of him. It seemed that for every nightmare he defeated, two more attacked him, and Bunny was becoming impatient for backup.

''It's like there's no end to these bloody mares.'' He growled to himself when suddenly he heard something that made his heart sink. He caught his boomerang and looked into the direction of which he'd heard that dreadful cry.

''Jack…'' He breathed, annoyed when he found his path blocked by even more nightmares. ''Get out of the way ya pests!'' Bunnymund tried to get past the mares, but it was like there were even more than before. He turned around startled when a nightmare tried to attack him, only to watch it get blown away by a whip made out of golden sand.

''Took ya long enough, mate!'' Bunny called up. Sandy decided not to mention the sigh of relief he'd noticed from Bunny and simply hit another nightmare. A symbol of a snowflake appeared above Sandy's head as he got closer to the Pooka, looking at him with a frown.

''We got separated.'' Bunny admitted reluctantly as he caught one of his boomerangs, instantly throwing it back at another mare. ''I don't know where he is, but he needs help.''

Sandy nodded sadly in understanding, then showed a picture of a tooth, an arrow and a Christmas tree, indicating that Tooth had gone to get North. Bunny smiled gratefully when suddenly they saw how Jack flew backwards, his back colliding with a tree before he fell limply to the ground.

''Jack!'' Bunny cried out wide eyed, gritting his teeth when he heard a menacing chuckle coming from the dark. ''Pitch! Where are ya?!'' Bunny was furious, noticing that Jack still hadn't moved when he looked back at him. He caught his boomerang again and held it tightly, his eyes scanning over the shadows in search of their attacker.

''Did you miss me?'' Pitch asked softly, appearing from behind a tree. He grinned like a Cheshire cat, tossing something onto the frozen lake. Bunny and Sandy watched in horror as Jack's broken staff clattered on the ice.

Though it had been an accident, a simple slip of the tongue, Jack had mentioned how Pitch had broken his staff before, he had even gone as far as to admit that it hurt. They just hadn't realised how much, and now that Bunny thought back to that terrible scream he'd just heard, the Pooka was fuming.

He leapt forward to attack Pitch only to get stopped by another nightmare. Sandy quickly whipped it out of Bunny's way, but Pitch had already disappeared into the shadows once more.

''Get back here ya coward!'' Bunny bellowed, turning around when he heard a faint noise behind him. His eyes went wide when he realised the nightmares they'd defeated had returned to their previous shape, and if Bunny wasn't mistaken, they'd grown.

''Neat, don't you think?'' Bunny twisted around again, gritting his teeth as Pitch held Jack up by his hair. Jack was clearly in pain, his eyes closed and his chest heaving, yet he didn't appear to have the strength to get away from Pitch.

''They have learned to feed on a lot more than just fear.'' Pitch chuckled, his grip on Jack growing, making the boy gasp softly. ''Anger, despair, annoyance, exhaustion… Pain.'' And with that he tossed Jack onto the hard ice, making the boy groan. Sandy and Bunny moved quickly when several nightmares turned to get to Jack, protecting the boy from any more harm.

With every second that passed, Bunny and Sandy started to become more desperate for backup. The Pooka could barely remain standing on the ice, but he refused to leave Jack's side, nor was there time to move the kid elsewhere. Sandy was beginning to get tired from the fight, it never seemed to end. He couldn't begin to imagine how Bunny felt, or Jack for that matter, although the boy had hardly stirred since Pitch had broken his staff and tossed him onto the ice.

Bunny bit back a pained cry when one of the nightmares bit one of his paws, instead kicking the beast away before throwing an egg bomb at it. He glanced back at Sandy, who appeared to be in just as much trouble, fighting off three mares at once. Bunnymund looked up at the sky pleadingly, wondering what was taking Tooth so long to get North.

When Jack's eyes fluttered open, they were surrounded by nightmares that continued to grow. Feeding on their exhaustion, their anger. Their pain. His sight was blurry, but he could see Bunny's back to him as well as Sandy's golden whips. Jack gritted his teeth when his eyes fell onto the two broken pieces of his staff, laying only a short distance away from them.

Without either of the other two guardian's noticing, Jack struggled up to his feet, using his strength to quickly move over the ice and towards his staff. If only he could mend it now, he would be able to help. Not that he didn't have any power without it. He was actually far from powerless, but that was the problem.

The staff helped him control it, helped him direct his powers rather than allowing himself to be consumed by his own frost magic. If he were to fight as he was now, he couldn't guarantee Bunny's and Sandy's safety. He couldn't guarantee his own safety. The staff was what he had created to direct his power, it had become part of his very being. Which was why it hurt so badly when it was broken.

He had nearly reached his staff when he got tackled by Pitch himself. Jack looked into those golden eyes and cringed at the smile on Pitch's lips.

''Look at you, Frost,'' He almost whispered, his nails digging into Jack's skin as he once again clenched his hands around Jack's neck. ''You're nothing without your little stick or your little guardians to protect you.''

''…'m not… we-…'' Jack breathed, his hand sliding up to grab Pitch's wrist. Pitch laughed sadistically, tightening his grip on Jack's throat to stop him from talking altogether.

''I'm sorry? What was that?'' He asked, his eyes narrowing at the fingers that wrapped around his wrist. He pulled back in shock, though, once ice started to spread over his arm, looking at it incredulously. _Impossible,_ he thought. Jack needed his staff. He was meant to be powerless, so why?

''I said I'm not weak!'' Jack growled, jolting towards Pitch. Somehow, appeared much more threatening than before, his eyes glowing with determination. The moment his fingers merely brushed over Pitch, who quickly jumped aside, ice began to form on Pitch's skin.

Bunny and Sandy had finally realised that Jack had come to and watched in awe as Jack went straight for Pitch once again. They couldn't watch it for long, the nightmares still demanding their attention. Bunny kicked down a smaller nightmare, smiling faintly to himself knowing that Jack was still alright, although he didn't quite understand how.

Pitch struggled to avoid Jack's attacks, still unable to believe that Jack was using his powers. He backed away into the shadows and vanished, requiring some time to pull himself back together. Jack looked around cautiously, trying to find Pitch in the shadows.

''Well, that was an unpleasant surprise.'' Jack whirled around, but still didn't see the king of nightmares. Pitch appeared behind Jack, silently creeping up to him. ''Not that it matters-''

Before Pitch could say anything else, Jack attacked again. Pitch avoided it and jumped back onto the frozen lake. Jack went at him three more times until he finally hit his target, landing on top of Pitch and pinning him down.

''What are you going to do now?'' Pitch snarled, suddenly enraged. ''My nightmares have been perfected! You cannot kill an immortal, and as long as I'm here, my nightmares will continue to grow!''

Jack glanced back at the fight that was happening not too far away from them. He could tell that Bunny was close to his limit, that even Sandy was beginning to struggle, and still the nightmares grew. Pitch was right, this wouldn't be over until Pitch himself was gone.

''And did you really think these were the only nightmares I had?'' Pitch continued, seeing how he was getting through to Jack. A smirk spread across his face again when Jack looked at him with realization. ''Your little tooth fairy would never take that long to get North. You know it.''

Jack continued to stare at Pitch, much to the other's pleasure. ''I win, Frost.'' He grated, grinning from ear to ear.

Jack swallowed thickly as he tried desperately to think of an answer. Pitch was right, you couldn't kill an immortal. But you could stop them, stop their time, Jack realised, pursing his lips.

Bunny frowned as he glanced back at Jack. The boy had Pitch pinned down to the ice, and yet it looked like Pitch was the one who was winning. The look in Jack's eyes worried him the most, his heart sinking when he saw the faint smile spreading on Jack's lips. He knew Jack was up to something, but even from this distance, Bunny could tell from the fact that his smile never reached Jack's eyes that it wasn't anything good.

''You're right.'' Jack said softly, much to Pitch's surprise. ''I can't stop those nightmares, nor can I kill an immortal.'' His grip on Pitch tightened when suddenly the ice around them began to crack. Pitch looked around wide eyed, realization dawning on him. ''You wouldn't.'' He gasped as he began to struggle a little against Jack's grip.

''You're mad!'' Pitch cried out bitterly. ''You realise that you will also-'' Pitch stopped speaking when Jack looked at him blankly, taking a calm, deep breath.

Bunny watched in horror as the ice around Jack and Pitch broke, the two figures disappearing into the ice cold water.

''Jack!'' Bunny cried out hysterically, drawing Sandy's attention to the lake. Almost as fast as the ice had broken, a blue light glowed from the lake, making it freeze over faster than anyone deemed possible, even with magic.

Just like the lake, the nightmares seemed to freeze over. Sandy touched one, which fell apart as dark grey snow. Bunny scurried over the ice to where Jack had disappeared into the water with pitch, Sandy not too far behind. He tried to look down, but the ice was too thick to make anything visible below it.

''No…'' Bunny breathed. He attempted to use his boomerang to break the ice, but didn't manage to make as much as a scratch on it. ''No, no, no!''

Sandy landed quietly on the ice, his lips pursed and his shoulders slumped. He watched as Bunnymund continued to hit the ice with his boomerang and didn't even stop him when the Pooka tossed down an egg bomb, but nothing seemed to work. Bunny simply sat on the ice, for once not minding the cold.

''Come on, snowflake…'' He murmured sadly, his voice breaking a little.

North and Toothiana arrived not much later, calling for their friends to ensure they were alright. North landed the sleigh on the lake and jumped out, Tooth flying close behind him.

''Sorry for delay,'' North bellowed, not yet taking in the defeated looks on Sandy and Bunny's faces. ''Nightmares attacked us at the Pole.''

''Are you alright?'' Tooth asked nervously, flying up to Sandy and Bunny to ensure that they were fine. That's when she realised they were one guardian short. ''Where's Jack? Is he ok?''

North now also began to frown, a nasty feeling growing in his belly. He looked at Bunny, whose ears were lowered down his back. He was still kneeling down on the ice, staring silently at the purple blast his egg bomb had created.

Tooth began to dread the silence, her heart sinking in her chest as she looked over to Sandy, who sadly shook his head. She covered her mouth in shock, tears stinging in her eyes as realization dawned on her.

All four guardians remained silent, their heads hanging. Tooth didn't hesitate to shed the tears that welled up. Sandy tried to comfort her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as he pursed his lips. North growled something in Russian, wiping at his eyes as he, too, couldn't hold back the tears. Bunny simply sat still, his posture slumped.

They decided that they all needed their space that day. Tooth and Sandy still had their tasks to fulfill, but they did it with a heavy heart that night. North went back to the Pole, retreating into his office and instructing no one to bother him. The yeti's could hear how North wrecked his office though, though he never had the heart to break the ice train he'd finally managed to make with Jack's help.

Bunnymund returned to the Warren. The others were especially worried about him when they realised he hadn't said a single word since they'd reunited. He'd not even replied to Tooth when she asked if he would be alright on his own, instead simply disappearing into his tunnels.

He still hung his head when he arrived at the Warren, only to stop when he stepped onto purple-blue grass. Bunny looked up at the blue and purple paint that coated the ground and walls, recognized the spot he'd been standing when the egg bomb had exploded. Jack's laughter rang in his ears as he thought of how this had all started, and once again Bunny fell to his knees. This time, he couldn't stop the tears from falling freely.

Darkness. That was the last thing Jack felt. It was cold, and it was dark. And yet, there was a faint smile on the winter spirit's face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello~! So I got quite a bit of people who asked me to continue this, so I've written a second part :) Thank you all for the lovely reviews and for the favourites and stuff, it really made me happy. I hope this is to your liking. It's mainly between Jack and Bunnymund, but Sandy, North, Tooth and Jamie make an appearance as well. Anyway, enjoy reading it and feel free to like/review/whatever! Xxx**

''Bunny, please…'' Tooth flittered down to Bunny, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, pursing her lips when he pulled away.

''I'm busy.'' E. Aster Bunnymund retorted coldly, guiding a stray egg towards the dye river. It was the week before Easter, and the guardians knew it was a busy time for Bunny. They also knew that it wasn't the reason why Bunny refused to join them.

''It has been three years. I think it is time you visit with us, no?'' North asked, following the Pooka down to another part of the Warren, Sandy and Tooth closely behind them. Bunny remained silent, instead picking up an egg to inspect the patterns the plants had created, putting it back down with a satisfied nod.

''I'm sure that Jack-'' Tooth began, wincing when Bunny interrupted her.

''Jack's _gone_,'' He snapped, turning on his heel to face the other guardians. His anger quickly turned into grief, the memories of that night returning to him.

He still remembered watching in horror when Jack fell into the lake with Pitch. His heart still sank whenever he thought of that faint smile on Jack's lips, the sad, but determined look in his eyes that Bunny had never seen before. The way Bunny had tried to break the ice to no avail.

His ears dropped, the frown on his face indicating that he wasn't going to change his mind. ''Visiting his lake every year isn't going to bring him back.''

Sandy gently placed a hand on Toothiana's shoulder when she wanted to follow Bunny again as he hopped away and he sadly shook his head. The three of them watched as their friend disappeared deeper into the tunnels of the Warren, turning back towards North's portal in defeat.

They arrived in the small town called Burgess, landing the sleigh next to the eternally frozen lake. For the past three years, winter had become much milder than it used to be. It had marveled many of the people who lived there that even on the hottest days of the year, the ice and snow around the small lake in the forest never melted.

Another thing that puzzled them was the fact that for the last three years, without fail, snow would fall on this spring day. It wouldn't snow in any of the surrounding villages, only Burgess was granted this odd phenomenon.

When North stepped out of the sleigh, he smiled sadly when he noticed the small figure standing at the edge of the lake, holding a snow bunny he'd made only minutes before. Jamie had been coming to the lake each year, placing the snow bunny in the middle of the frozen lake. North, Tooth and Sandy had been slightly worried when Jamie had first stepped onto the ice, but the boy had insisted. Jack wouldn't let him fall, he'd argued.

Jamie had been right. The ice never got any thinner, there was nothing that could even make a scratch on it. Jack's magic was still at work, and it kept the ice strong enough for North and the others to join Jamie whenever he left his snow bunny behind.

''You've really gotten good at making these.'' Tooth complimented once she saw the snow bunny in his hands, smiling as happily as she could. Jamie had told them how Jack had created a bunny out of ice for him the moment he'd started to doubt his beliefs. It was Jamie's way of showing Jack that he still believed in him, and the guardians found it suiting.

Jamie looked up at Tooth and mirrored the smile. He took her hand when she held it out to him and walked onto the lake, gently cradling the bunny against his chest. North and Sandy were right behind them, watching as Jamie carefully placed his creation on the ice.

''Come back soon, Jack.'' Jamie said and looked down at the lake, smiling encouragingly. ''I haven't had a snow day in, like, forever. So come back so we can play.''

''We miss you, Jack.'' Tooth added, squeezing Jamie's hand lightly. She wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort Jamie or herself.

There were symbols above Sandy's head, expressing how he hoped for Jack to return to them one day, how he wouldn't give up on the boy. North, much unlike himself, remained silent, looking down at the lake as he silently asked for Jack to find his way back to them.

They remained until the sun was about to set, waving Jamie goodbye as the boy quickly headed home for dinner. No matter how much it hurt them to think about the sacrifice Jack had made, Jamie always brought warmth to their hearts. It was amazing to see that Jamie still believed, that he was still convinced that Jack would one day return. They didn't have it in them to disagree with him.

Over the last three years, their hope had started to falter, doubt taking its place. They feared what it would be like if Jack truly never returned, if their youngest member was really gone, though none of them ever expressed their doubts in words, or in Sandy's case symbols.

Glancing back at the lake one more time, North climbed into his sleigh. Sandy and Tooth parted from him there, each of them flying off to do their work as it quickly turned dark. North simply returned to the Pole, isolating himself in his workshop where he would work on new toys for the rest of the night.

Bunny was nearly ready for Easter this year, having worked harder than ever before. The first two years since their last fight with Pitch, the other guardians had left Bunny alone after he'd declined to come with them. This had been the first time either of them had spoken up in an attempt to convince him, but Bunny had stood his ground.

He didn't want to return to the lake, knowing that Jack would be right there, forever trapped with Pitch. He didn't want to return knowing that there was nothing he could do to save Jack. Knowing that he, the guardian of hope, had lost what he protected once he'd realised that he couldn't break the ice. The Pooka gritted his teeth, refusing to let the tears that blurred his vision fall.

That night, Bunny decided to once again paint some of his eggs by hand. He sighed when he felt an annual guest return to his Warren, tugging at his fur.

''I'm not going, Wind.'' Bunny said softly as he tried to ignore how Wind howled in the tunnel that led to the lake. Wind didn't give up that easily, swooping the brush Bunny had been using from his hands, making it clatter onto the ground and roll further away.

''Oi!'' Bunny called out annoyed, mumbling annoyed when he got up and searched for his brush. He found it in a hall that would take him to another part of the Warren, growling when Wind once again blew the brush away from his reach.

''Give me a break, mate…'' Bunny huffed, following the brush again. He picked it up from the soft grass, smiling content until he saw why Wind had guided him there. On what looked like a small stone altar surrounded by blue and white flowers, lay the broken pieces of Jack's staff. Bunny had taken them back to the Warren with him after the battle, but had kept them there, never returning to look at them again.

Bunny swallowed, walking closer to the altar. Wind swirled softly around him, ruffling his fur a little. The Pooka lowered his head, closing his eyes as he remembered the agonizing scream he'd heard when Pitch had broken the staff.

Everyone thought that Jack would be powerless without it, and everyone had been proven wrong that day. It wasn't the staff who gave Jack power, it was the other way around. Jack had far more power than any of them could imagine, bringing winter even as he was sealed away in the lake, although the winters had become milder. Nevertheless, the staff was part of his very being, and breaking it was like ripping off a limb, Bunny imagined.

Bunny looked down when he felt something against his leg, seeing a small Easter egg brushing past him. It was mostly blue, a beautiful white fern pattern coating it. It was the egg Jack had painted years ago, he realised, surprised that it was still around.

''Where have you been all this time, ya little beauty?'' Bunny asked, crouching down to have a closer look at it. He hadn't admitted it to Jack before, but the egg was one of the most impressive ones he had ever seen. It was as if Jack had put a little bit of himself in it, he thought as he watched it run around cheerfully.

The little egg ran around Bunnymund and stopped next to the altar, hopping up and down as if to say something. Bunny looked at Jack's broken staff again and sighed, getting back up to his feet.

''I'm not going.'' Bunny repeated slowly, glancing back at the staff once more before he turned around, heading towards his chambers in the Warren. ''Don't ask me again.''

It was almost midnight and Bunny was still sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands cupping his head and his elbows resting on his shoulders. He couldn't sleep, hadn't been able to do so on this night for the past three years. Wind had left again after her attempts to get him out, leaving the Warren eerily quiet.

''_Come on, kangaroo._'' Bunny's head jerked up when he heard a familiar voice, his eyes wide with disbelief.

''Jack?'' He asked hesitantly, jumping up to his feet when he heard a chuckle he could never forget not too far away. Bunnymund rushed out of his room and towards the tunnels, his head perking around as he tried to hear where it was coming from, although he had his suspicions.

''_Getting slow, cotton tail?_'' Bunny gasped softly, turning around towards the tunnel the sound came from. That was definitely Jack. He couldn't help as a smile pulled at his lips.

''Oh, you don't want to race a rabbit, mate.'' He retorted, running into the tunnel as fast as he could. Though it was too dark too see anything in the tunnel, he could still hear Jack's laughter right ahead of him. His heart was racing in his chest, adrenaline running through his veins as he tried to catch up, a grin spreading on his face.

Bunny finally stopped once he jumped out of the tunnel, a smile still on his face as he tried to catch his breath. He looked around, the smile quickly fading as he looked around the lake, no one else in sight. The only thing he saw was the small snow bunny in the middle of the lake.

''Alright, you won!'' He called out, desperate for an answer now that it had once again become painfully quiet. ''Where are ya, Frostbite?''

His ears slumped down his back when he didn't get a reply and he decided that his mind had been playing tricks on him. Of course Jack wasn't there. He was trapped underneath the ice on the very lake he was now staring at. Bunny pursed his lips and sank down to his knees, his head lowered to the ground.

''I'm sorry, Snowflake…'' He mumbled sadly, tears threatening to fall once more. ''I let ya down. I couldn't protect ya.'' He closed his eyes, finally allowing the tears to fall again for the first time in years, his shoulders shuddering slightly.

He opened his eyes again when he suddenly felt something cold against his nose, his eyes widening with an incredulous look as the snow bunny that had been on the lake now hovered just before him, its cold nose sniffing at Bunny. He could hardly believe his eyes as the little rabbit cocked its head, one ear lying flat and the other up in confusion.

Bunnymund was amazed. He assumed that the bunny had come to life because it had been on the lake. The place never defrosted, and even Bunny could sense the magic emanating from the ice. Perhaps the little creature had absorbed some of that power. He smiled sadly, hesitantly scratching the snow rabbit behind its ear.

The little creature hopped around the Pooka and through the air, eventually bursting into tiny snowflakes that glittered in the moonlight as they fell around him. He watched the snowflakes fall down, following one that landed on his nose before it disappeared, making Bunny look back up at the lake.

There on the lake, right in the middle, stood Jack Frost, entirely with his staff, hoodie and lopsided grin. Bunny could see the other side of the lake right through him, in fact Jack was no more than a blueish glow, but it was him. Bunny blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, but the figure didn't disappear.

''Jack?'' Bunny asked hesitantly, his heart racing in his chest. He didn't want to disappoint himself again, like he head when he thought he'd heard Jack's voice back in the Warren. He was afraid that Jack wouldn't answer, that he would simply vanish. Instead Jack smiled warmly.

''Took you long enough, kangaroo.'' Jack replied, and Bunny was so happy to hear the nickname. ''I even sent Wind to come fetch you.''

Bunny got up to his feet and took a step onto the ice, ignoring the cold. He wanted to get closer to the boy, afraid that Jack would leave again any moment soon. Right now, he didn't care if Jack was an illusion or not, he wanted him to stay.

He reached the center of the lake where Jack stood, looking up at the Pooka. Jack's smile had faded a little, his eyes hinting at something sad. Bunny's heart sank at the sight of him, guilt and grief overcoming him as his paw went straight through the boy's shoulder when he tried to touch it. Jack looked down at his shoulder sadly.

''Yeah, don't think anyone can touch me when I'm like this.'' He shrugged, looking back up at Bunny, who met his gaze.

''What are you right now?'' Bunnymund asked, uncertain if he wanted to know the answer. He inwardly cringed when Jack forced a grin onto his face that never quite reached his eyes.

''I'm not too sure, but I think part of me can separate itself from my body.'' He chuckled slightly. ''Like I'm a ghost, but that's a bit weird seeing as I'm already a spirit.''

Though he wasn't sure if Jack had realised it himself, Bunny then understood what Jack was. Jack Frost _is_ winter, he is one with his magic. Bunny suspected that that was why could project his very being through his magic, that this was also why it hurt so much when the staff got broken. It really was like one of his limbs got ripped off.

''If spirits do have spirits, then I'm a bound spirit now.'' Jack continued, drawing Bunny's attention back to the figure in front of him. ''I can't leave the lake.'' He explained further, idly pacing around on the lake.

Bunny couldn't imagine how hard that could be for him. Jack was a free spirit, would never stay in one place for too long. Surely, the lake had always been his home, although the Pole also became part of that home five years ago, but he would never stay still for too long.

''Jack.'' Bunny began, though he wasn't sure what exactly it was that he wanted to say. Jack stopped pacing around and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

Bunny racked his brain to think of something he could say. He wouldn't apologize. Not only had he done that already when he'd just arrived, he knew Jack would never accept his apology. Not because he didn't forgive him, but because Jack had never blamed him for anything. It wasn't like the winter spirit to blame people or hold grudges, and Bunny knew that all too well. Sadly enough, that usually caused Jack to blame himself.

''Don't ya think it's time you came back to us, mate?'' The Pooka asked eventually, meeting Jack's gaze. It was painfully obvious that Jack wanted to say yes, that he wanted to break free from the ice and return to his friends, his family. But it was also clear what his answer would be.

''I can't.'' He murmured reluctantly, his head dropping a little and his eyes shifting away from Bunny.

''Why not?!'' Bunny asked sounding a little more emotional than he would have liked. ''We all know ya don't need that bloody stick of yours to use your magic, why can't ya come back to us?''

''Pitch.'' Jack explained simply, his back turned to Bunny. Bunny frowned, not entirely understanding what Jack meant until he elaborated. ''We're still fighting.''

Bunny's eyes went wide. Jack was somehow fighting Pitch in the lake?

''What goes better than ice and dark?'' It had been no more than a whisper, but the Pooka caught onto it, frowning again.

''What did ya say?'' He asked nervously, somehow knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.

''Pitch said that once.'' Jack replied, turning around to face Bunny. There was that same smile on his face as there had been the last time Bunnymund had seen him, that sad smile that simply ripped his heart out.

''I knew that Pitch would eventually escape again if I just sealed him in.'' Jack continued, sitting down on the lake with his legs crossed, his staff idly leaning on his shoulder. ''So I took him in.''

''Y-ya what?'' Bunny asked, taking a step into the spirit's direction. It hadn't gone unnoticed that the image of Jack was slowly beginning to fade, and Bunny could only guess that it was exhausting for Jack to keep this up.

''Sounds creepy, I know,'' Jack went on. ''I don't know how else to explain it, but it was as if we merged together or something. We're still fighting over control, but so far I'm winning.'' He said, looking up at Bunny's shocked expression. ''I'm not even sure how I did it.'' He added with a chuckle.

''If I get out of the lake, that means I separate myself from Pitch again.'' Jack pursed his lips regretfully. ''It means he could come back.''

Bunny couldn't believe it. Jack had been fighting with Pitch for the past three years. He had 'merged' –Bunny decided that he really didn't like the sound of that- with Pitch in order to put an end to the battle that had been going on. Jack Frost, a free spirit, had sacrificed his own freedom for the sake of others. And still something was bugging the Pooka.

''Why?'' He asked, to Jack's surprise. ''Why did ya tell Wind to get me? What point is there if I can't save ya, and why summon just me?!''

If Jack could create this image of himself, why hadn't he shown it to any of the others? Why had he not assured North, Sandy or Tooth? Or Jamie, who Bunny finally realised had most likely been the one to leave the snow bunny on the ice.

''I was worried.'' Bunny's mouth dropped open a little at those words, his heart sinking in his chest. Jack's image was slowly becoming less clear, and still it was obvious that Jack was a little ashamed of what he'd just said.

''You got so upset when I-'' He didn't really want to repeat it, for both their sakes. ''And then you never came back. Sandy and Tooth fly over daily, even North has come more than the few times they came together. But you never showed, so yeah... I got worried.''

How many times could Jack amaze Bunny in one night? He felt terrible knowing that Jack had been struggling for three years, had been protecting everyone even as they weren't aware of it, and still he worried about them. He was fighting Pitch probably as they were talking, and he still used up part of his energy to ensure that _Bunny _was alright.

''Ah hell, mate…'' Bunnymund mumbled, eager to simply wrap the boy in his arms now, although he knew he couldn't. He pursed his lips and took a deep breath. E. Aster Bunnymund was the guardian of hope. Now that he knew what Jack had done for them, for him, he'd be damned if he was going to let the boy down any longer.

''I'll save ya.'' It was Jack's turn to look surprised again, but he could see the determination in the Pooka's eyes. ''I don't know how, but I promise I'll get ya out of there. Just believe in me.''

Jack smiled genuinely for the first time that night and nodded. Bunny could see that Jack couldn't hold on much longer and mirrored the smile. He watched how the image faded away together with Jack's voice. The sun began to rise and the lake reflected the light, giving it a faint, blue glow.

Some might have said that it had been no more than an illusion, something Bunny's mind had created to deal with their loss, but Bunny knew. He knew that had been Jack Frost, the little rascal who had frozen his tail, tied his ears together and blown up egg bombs in his Warren. The spirit of winter, the guardian of fun. It was Jack Frost, and Bunny vowed to bring him back to them.


End file.
